How Sara Lee Spun
White, Grain Into Gold

That's the question Sara Lee Corp. asked when it set out to halt a 30-year slide in sales of white bread.

Sara Lee had just a tiny presence in bread until 2001, when it acquired Earthgrains, a major national baker, for some $2.8 billion. Examining the business, Sara Lee executives were struck by the fact that one of every two loaves of bread sold in the U.S. was still white...